How great was Alexander the great? A question that seems to be the highlight of many historical debates. In my opinion it is clear as day how great he was. And let's just say he wasn’t. A little further down are why I think Alexander was not-so-great.
- He was a bad leader
- He enslaved and killed innocent people
- He acted has a forceful tyrant
The first reason I think Alexander wasn’t so great is because he was a bad leader. This is because he forced his soilders to fight even when they decided enough was enough. “ Alexander was stopped...by his own army, which refused to go further. Alexander reluctantly turned by after 8 years”, the Alexander mini-Q essay states. Can you believe it took him 8 years to finally come to his senses and think about the rest of his men?! It is completely unfair that after those people fought beside him he still wasn't satisfied when they became tired. He probably couldn't see what was going on past his huge ego. Not cool Alexander, not cool.
The second reason I don't agree with the opinion Alexander was great is because he killed so many innocent civilians, that is killed or enslaved, your pick. According to Peter Green, author of Alexander of Macedon, “Alexander spared their lives. The remaining survivors, some 30,000 in number, he sold into slavery. 2,000 men of military age were crucified”. This means that even after putting them through a war he proceeded to sell them into slavery. What was the point of sparing their lives just to ruin it in the end. This was a cruel and unfair decision Alexander made, which just proves he isn't great.
The third reason I believe Alexander doesn’t deserved to be called great is because of his tyrant-like behaviors. According to Peter Green, author of Alexander of Macedon, “ Alexander had ordered that all [except] those who sought sanctuary [safety in the temple] were to be slain.” Oh yeah so heroic, force people into a temple or slice them. Alexander was ruthless and a down right tyrant. His mindset was invade,conquer, and kill. Sounds like he’s just another bad guy in history, so what makes him so great?
These are the reasons why I believe that Alexander was not-so-great.
